STARTING this school year, female freshmen students will be included in the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
The NSTP law, enacted last January, replaced the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as the training program for students provided by the Constitution.
Under the new program, students will be given the option to enroll in either Military Training Service (MTS), Literacy Training Program (LTP) or Civic Welfare Services (CWS). However, only the MTS, which is the same as the former ROTC program, will be offered this semester.
On the other hand, LTP and CWS, which are community-based and done outside of UST, will only be offered next school year.
According to UST registrar Rodolfo Clavio, students who have already passed at least two semesters of the previous ROTC or CWS will no longer undergo training as a result of the NSTP.
In addition, students who were not allowed to graduate because of failure to complete the previous four semesters of the ROTC course, will now be given their diplomas.
However, incoming freshmen students have mixed feelings about the new program.
“Nakaka-interfere lang (ang NSTP) sa pag-aaral mo. Hindi naman siya relevant sa course. Yung time mo sa school naiibibigay mo pa dun,” said College of Fine Arts and Design freshman Krystal Mea Gaticales.
On the other hand, Faculty of Arts and Letters freshman Nikos Consumido said the program is necessary because it instills discipline among students. Ma. Cristina S. Lavapie
